National Green Tribunal panel report confirms illegal mining at Dadam

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

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Chandigarh, April 9

Using satellite imagery, a seven-member panel of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) under Justice Pritam Pal (retd) has confirmed illegal mining by mine leaseholder in Dadam, Bhiwani.

Former Haryana Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati was also part of the panel.

PROVED RIGHT: HOODA

I have been proved right. I visited the mining site and found evidence of illegal mining, which has now come out in these reports. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, leader of opposition

It concluded that the perusal of “documents/ information/ data available with the Department of Forests and Department of Mines and Geology indicates that M/s Goverdhan Mines and Minerals (present leaseholder) has done illegal mining in forest area (non-mineable area) in 300 sq m area.”

In violation of the mining plan, as per the report of Deputy Director Mines Safety, Ghaziabad, the leaseholder is carrying out “unscientific” mining. The report of the Deputy Director says that the mining area is not “adequately benched, sloped and secured as to prevent danger from fall of sides”. Even at the accident site of the pit number 37 and 38, only a single bench of height of about 30-40m was formed on the eastern and western sides.

The panel concluded that previous leaseholder M/s Sunder Marketing Associates has done “illegal mining” on forest area of 1.241 hectares. The firm carried out the mining from October 29, 2015, to November 30, 2017.

M/s Goverdhan Mines and Minerals, the present leaseholder, carried out illegal mining in the forest area of 0.097 hectares. It started its mining operations in the area on February 25, 2019. Even during the non-lease period, from December 1, 2017 to February 24, 2019, illegal mining was carried out on 0.195 hectares.

The panel has concluded that M/s Goverdhan Mines did mining at an average depth of 80m and up to the depth of 93m at one point against the permissible depth of 78m.

The Department of Irrigation constructed Dadam distributary in 1976-77 and it was extended in 1987-88. Its total length is 23,500 ft while water-carrying capacity is 19 cusecs. It passes through the mining area.

The satellite imagery reflected that in 2017, there was no mining in the distributary but it was converted into the pathway and there was a damage of 55m in length and 5,58,593.91 cubic feet of material was extracted from the distributary.

The panel has found that both leaseholders, M/s Sunder Marketing and M/s Goverdhan Mines, are responsible for not leaving the 7.5m barrier all along the boundary of the mining lease area and has maintained plantation in an area of 1.78 hectares against the requirement of 3.91 hectares.

Illegal mining has been done in 0.37 hectares where the quantity of mined material was quantified at 64,167 MT. “Therefore, both the project proponents have violated the provisions of the mining plan submitted by them,” said the panel’s report.

Another NGT panel, formed after the death of four workers due to a landslide at Dadam on January 1, has recommended Rs 7.5 crore penalty on M/s Goverdhan Mines and Minerals for various violations and illegal mining. The Tribune broke the story on April 6.

There is a third committee too, under former IAS SS Prasad, set up by the state government, which is investigating the Dadam case. It is yet to submit its report.

During the Budget session, CM Manohar Lal Khattar had refused a CBI probe into the matter, saying that decision would be taken once the three committees submit their reports. Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been demanding a CBI probe.